Black police officials sue city

Promotion tests targeted Supervisors say exams biased

Nine black Boston police supervisors failed to advance in the department because of a discriminatory exam, according to a federal lawsuit filed yesterday that underscores the long-running tension between minority officers and department commanders.

The supervisors are suing the city, demanding that it scrap the multiple-choice lieutenant’s test. Black and Latino officers historically fare worse on the exams - which rely on rote memorization - than white and Asian candidates.